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In a commanding performance, Canada’s Brad Jacobs triumphed over China’s Xiaoming Xu, clinching the bronze medal at the BKT World Men’s Curling Championship with a decisive score of 11-2 on Sunday.
Alongside vice Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, and lead Ben Hebert, Jacobs showcased remarkable skill, scoring three points in the first end and following up with an impressive five points in the fourth end. “We wanted to come out of this thing strong,” Jacobs remarked, reflecting on their strategy and focus.
Earlier in the competition, Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller was set to face Scotland’s Bruce Mouat for the gold medal later that day at the Temple Gardens Centre.
Jacobs and his team secured the top seed in the tournament with an impressive 11-1 record during the round-robin phase. However, they faced a tough loss against Mouat in a dramatic semifinal match on Saturday.
Demonstrating an aggressive approach from the outset of the bronze-medal game, Jacobs executed a smart split on his first throw, effectively putting pressure on the Chinese team. Xu struggled early on, flashing a stone that allowed Jacobs to capitalize with a draw for three points. The Canadian team further increased their lead in the third end, as Xu was forced to make a difficult draw against four of Jacobs’ stones to earn his first point.
Game Highlights
The fourth end saw an unfortunate miss by China, allowing Jacobs to score another five points, effectively putting the game out of reach. “Coming out of the gate strong with a three was awesome,” Jacobs noted. “And then the five obviously broke the game wide open.”
As the match progressed, the Chinese team offered to concede after the seventh end; however, officials required that a minimum of eight ends be played. This led to an unusual conclusion, where players hurriedly delivered their stones just to officially complete the required ends.
This bronze victory marks a significant achievement for Jacobs, who previously earned a silver medal in his only other appearance at the World Championships in 2013. Hebert and Kennedy have previously claimed world titles in 2008 and 2016, respectively, while Gallant was part of Gushue’s winning team in 2017.
In a separate but notable achievement, Canada’s Rachel Homan defended her world women’s title successfully last month in South Korea, continuing the nation’s strong tradition in the sport.
Source
globalnews.ca